RAIPUR: Two weeks after Maoists in a statement claimed that they are willing for peace talks but also set several conditions, Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel on Thursday said that peace talks with Maoists is only possible if they express faith in the Constitution. Baghel further said that he can come to Sukma or anywhere they (Maoists) want but they should first accept the Constitution of India.
The chief minister was talking to the media on his visit to Bastar’s Sukma district.
“The Maoism entered Chhattisgarh in Sukma first, but now the influence of Maoists declined because they (Maoists) were pushed back. If Maoists want to have peace talks, then our doors are always open but only on one condition that they should express faith in the Constitution,” Baghel said while answering a question on peace talk with Maoists.
The CM further said that the day Maoists express faith in the Constitution of India, he will come to Sukma or wherever they want for peace talks.
“On what grounds will I talk to them? I live in India, which is a federal republic. Being chief minister of a state, I am sitting on a constitutional post and if I have to talk to someone, the person should express faith in the Constitution... If you don’t believe the Indian Constitution, then I cannot talk to you… This should be the first thing for talks and if Maoists express faith in Constitution, believe me I will come to Sukma or anywhere they want,” the CM said.
On May 6, a statement purportedly issued in the name of Vikalp, spokesperson of the Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee (DKSZC) alleging that on one hand the state government is talking about peace talks and on the other hand air strikes were conducted in jungles of Bijapur and Sukma.
{{/usCountry}}On May 6, a statement purportedly issued in the name of Vikalp, spokesperson of the Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee (DKSZC) alleging that on one hand the state government is talking about peace talks and on the other hand air strikes were conducted in jungles of Bijapur and Sukma.
{{/usCountry}}The Maoists in a press note alleged that Baghel’s call for peace talk is nothing ‘apart from attempt to mislead the public and malign the Maoists’
The Maoists also claimed that there’s a larger conspiracy behind the statement.
The Maoists also sought clarifications from the chief minister on the alleged drone attack in the forests of Bastar. Responding to the call for peace talks, Maoists said, “We are always ready for the talks provided that in order to create a ‘conducive environment’ for talks, the restrictions imposed on Maoists are removed. The Maoists also demanded withdrawal of forces from strife-torn areas and release of their jailed leaders for peace talks.
Baghel on Thursday said that the villagers who earlier protested against security camps are now demanding camps in their area.
“Sukma has undergone major changes in the last few years. There has been significant growth in the field of education, healthcare, and nutrition. The wages of tribals are increasing and we have also increased the procurement rate of minor forest produce in the region. Ration shops are being opened in the interior areas of Sukma and most of the schools, which were closed for decades, were re-opened,” he said.
Baghel is touring three districts of Bastar—Sukma, Bijapur and Naryanpur— in the second phase of his constituency-wise public interaction drive. The chief minister reached Bijapur on Thursday and will be camping in Naryanpur district on Friday.